Get a start on your holiday shopping! Please come out to support local artisan crafters and support our local community at the same time! The majority of the proceeds from the Craft Fair benefit local organizations. We are also accepting non-perishable donations at the door for the Franklin Food Pantry.

Admission is $3 for adults and children over 12 with a maximum of $10 per family. The club will also run a raffle table and a bake table.

With the holidays approaching, the Franklin Food Pantry held its annual distribution of turkey dinners on Wednesday evening.

Two hundred dinners were put together and handed out to registered members of the food pantry. All registered members are residents of Franklin who are chosen through an application process.

volunteers ready to distribute the meal kits

The dinners included a frozen turkey and all the side items such as cranberry sauce, vegetables, stuffing and more. All items are donated by the community with the help of the Franklin Interfaith Council while volunteers put together all the bags. The turkey's come from the Greater Boston Food Bank and are handed out from the back of a Garelick Farm's refrigerated truck.

"Everyone is very supportive in getting the bags put together," says Linda Sottile, Director of Operations at the Food Pantry, who helps oversee the collecting and packaging of the items and bags.

Sottile works alongside Erin Lynch, Director of Development at the Food Pantry, to make the distribution possible. Thanksgiving is the first of two dinner distributions with the second one happening early in December.

Lynch says the Food Pantry is always thankful for any donation made to make these events possible, "We're very grateful to the community."

Hopedale, Medway and Franklin were three of 33 state school districts named to the College Board’s 2013 Advanced Placement (AP) District Honor Roll, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Many of you have already heard of the Franklin Chapter of Neighbor Brigade, some have not. I have the pleasure of volunteering for this group as a meal-deliverer, occasional driver and as the chapter leader.

Unfortunately for a couple families in town, we are very busy right now. Happily for us volunteers who enjoy connecting with this community when we can, we are full with appreciation and gratitude to help out.

Two of our current Franklin families are going through treatments from cancer ; another a family crisis; and a forth in the works who is coping with a new diagnosis of cancer and surgery challenges. Take a look below at the description of Neighbor Brigade and consider volunteering, with absolutely no pressure to give time, unless it fits into your schedule...

Franklin Neighbor Brigade– Help is next door. The Franklin chapter of Neighbor Brigade is actively recruiting volunteers!

Neighbor Brigade establishes and mobilizes community-specific networks of volunteers that provide free and immediate support services to residents during times of temporary crisis – such as serious illness, major surgery, sudden accident or tragedy. Services include meal delivery, local rides, help with household duties, help with errands, and more.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

I am writing to alert all those of you who may have dealings with the Town of Franklin (Or other town governments), solar companies with promises, and National Grid. Not so long ago Franklin granted a permit to a solar company to install a farm which would grant all sorts of electrical benefits to the town. I am a supporter of solar energy. The word at the time was that it would be kind to the land and would connect to the Grid through the Union St. Industrial Park. Very soon after all the large roadside trees were cleared from the site.

This project may be great for the town but not for the Franklin residents who live on Mount St. In order to connect the solar farm into the electrical grid, National Grid has decided to run the 23 thousand volt power line along Mount St, which already has three power lines crossing it, one twenty three thousand volt line and two one hundred and fifteen thousand volt power transmission lines. This decision was made and the work started without notifying any of the residents on Mount St about this additional power line. Other routes for this new power line are available which would not increase the harmful electromagnetic radiation exposure to the Mount St residents. Running this type of power line along a street by itself would not normally be a hazard, but combined with the effects of three other power transmission lines already crossing it greatly increase the risk of health related issues including cancer. Perhaps the residents of Mount St in Franklin don't Matter!

Artistry Kitchen is part of an emerging multi-faceted hospitality company in Massachusetts called
Artistry. In addition to Artistry Kitchen, the organization is comprised of The Inn at Hastings Park,
a boutique inn and restaurant, as well as a full-service catering and event planning company.

The Artistry Kitchen flyer:

Where is Artistry Kitchen?
in downtown Franklin on the corner of Cottage and East Central

Funded by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation, Franklin's Senior Center is offering a program to provide some off time for care givers. For those caring for the sick and elderly, the job is 24x7. To get a break, you can now get some qualified help at a reasonable price.

The Companion Caregiver Program is designed to provide a regular break (respite) for unpaid caregivers of elders, aged 60 and over, in Franklin and Bellingham. Care recipients must have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, a related dementia, or a significant chronic medical condition. This in-home respite service is provided by a trained companion employed by the Franklin Senior Center. The program provides socialization and stimulation for the care recipient, through an activities plan developed for that individual, based on his or her interests and abilities. It also provides affordable respite for caregivers.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Are you tired of receiving bills in the mail, putting them down somewhere until you cannot find them when you are ready to pay them? Have you ever paid a late fee and/or interest charges because you misplaced a bill? Then you are ready to take the next step to bill presentment or paperless billing.

The Town of Franklin offers you the convenience of paperless billing through UniPay’s new electronic billing feature. Managing your bills online has now become faster and easier. With electronic bill presentment you will receive an email notice as soon as your bill is available for payment. With paperless billing you will no longer receive those paper bills to save.

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3~ …. Register, view, and pay….. And you are using the same trusted, dependable UniPay product. Your bills are stored electronically on UniPay and your payment history is also available. You can retrieve them by logging in. If you need a copy, just print it out. If you need to know what you paid for taxes for income tax purposes, just look them up.

No searching for paper copies.
No forgetting to pay.
No hassle.

And it is available 24 hours a day/365 days a year so you can manage your Real Estate and water/sewer/trash bills when you want to.

Use our on-line bill payment link to get you there to register. The link is on the Town of Franklin
Home page. franklin.ma.us/

To ensure that all kids across the Commonwealth have the chance to reach their full potential, Massachusetts has introduced a number of programs that support children's behavioral development.

The success of some of these efforts is reflected in a KIDS COUNT report released today by the Annie E. Casey foundation which finds Massachusetts leading the nation in providing screenings that assess whether a child is at risk for developmental or other behavioral health concerns and that allow for timely intervention.

Two-thirds of young, low-income children in Massachusetts get early, developmental screenings, compared to just one-third nationwide.

Massachusetts is making major strides in the assessment of post-partum depression.

Making sure that mental health screenings are followed up by community-based treatment and family supports could help improve outcomes for children.

Research has shown that maternal depression affects the well-being of kids. According to Liz Friedman, Program Director for MotherWoman, "There are serious implications for children who are born to mothers with untreated depression or anxiety such as being more likely to experience social, emotional, and cognitive delays, have the potential of facing unintended neglect and can have lifelong increases in medical care utilization and expenses."

The national KIDS COUNT report, "The First Eight Years: Giving Kids a Foundation for Lifetime Success," presents a strong case for investing in the early years of a child's life. The report details the many, long-term benefits of investing in the early years of a child's life. For children to succeed, classroom learning should be integrated with other aspects of child development, such as social, emotional and physical development, to create opportunities for children to develop the full array of competencies they will need in life.

"All children need nurturing and plentiful opportunities to develop during their crucial first eight years," said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Foundation. "Today's complicated world can strain families' ability to ensure their children are receiving all the stimulation and care they need to develop to their full potential."

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

The Lady Panther's went into half time with a 0-0 stalemate, but seventeen minutes into the second half junior Taylor Cogliano slipped one past Marshfield on an assist by sophomore Victoria Stowell to give Franklin a 1-0 edge. Ten minutes later Cogliano tallied another to make it the 2-0 final.

The defending state champs continue their 2013 tournament run on Thursday November 7 at Medway High School against number five seeded Needham. Time is to be announced.FHS Girls Volleyball

"The Franklin volleyball team had its season come to an end in a 3-1 (23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25) loss at Natick on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Division 1 Central-West tournament."

Déjà vu isn't always a good thing - just ask the Franklin Panthers boys soccer team. Franklin tied #3 New Bedford 1-1 in regulation and the score stayed the same through the two overtime periods before the Whalers escaped with a 6-5 win in penalty kicks - the same manner Franklin was eliminated last year.

Dress up in your Holiday best and enjoy an afternoon of tea, crafts and fun with Clara and her friends. The cast of Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center’s “The Nutcracker” invites you to celebrate the season with them on Sunday, Nov 17, 2013, at its studios on 31 Hayward Street in Franklin, MA.

“Last year was such a success! Our guests really enjoyed meeting the cast of the show and asking lots of questions. They sipped ‘tea’ together, enjoyed Sugarplum Sweets, made crafts and enjoyed dancing with Clara, the Sugarplum Fairy, the Dew Drop Fairy and the Snow Queen,” said Patti Eisenhauer, owner of PEDC. She added, “This year we are offering two seatings. The first seating, from 1 to 2:15pm is for our youngest guests to participate with a parent or guardian. Our second seating is from 3 to 4:30 for our older guests that can attend alone or with a friend.”

Included in the $25 ticket fee is a digital photo with Clara, as well as a small gift from her to each child.

“I am so excited to have a Tea Party with the children all dressed up in their holiday clothes!” said Sarah Finamore, who is hosting the Tea Party, along with Ainsley McStay, as both girls will dance the role of Clara in PEDC’s upcoming Nutcracker production on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15. “It is so much fun to see how excited the kids are when they see us in our beautiful costumes and crowns. It really is magical,” said Sarah. Ainsley added, “I really enjoy doing crafts with the kids and showing them some of our dances from the show. I hope that when the see the show live, they will remember our tea party.”

The “Nutcracker” Box Office is also open and tickets for the Saturday, Dec. 14 show at 5:30 and for the Sunday, Dec. 15 show at 1pm are available. Ticket prices are $15 and $12. Tickets are available by calling PEDC.

In its 33rd year of dance education, Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center is a state-of the art Dance Center offering tap, ballet, jazz, modern, hip-hop and gymnastics classes, as well as birthday parties. Classes are held for each age group from pre-school children through adult. Children are taught the discipline of tap, ballet, jazz and tumbling during their class each week. The center offers air conditioning and springboard flooring.

For more information or to purchase tickets, email: pedcnews@gmail.com or call the studio at 508-520-7873.

Turnout proved slow throughout the chilly, sun-splashed day and never picked up. Roughly 2,527 people filed into the polls, a little more than 10 percent of the town’s 22,000 registered voters, according to Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri. That number stands as the lowest recorded at a town election in a decade.

In addition to voting for the council seats, voters weighed in on two ballot referendums.

For the nonbinding question, they rejected the idea of amending the town charter to allow for the election of a mayor, with 1,374 residents voting yes and 936 voting no.

At the Franklin High School field house, the following positions are up for election.

There are ten candidates for nine Town Council positions

Brett S. Feldman

Glenn F. Jones

Thomas D. Mercer

Andrew M. Bissanti

Judith Pond Pfeffer

Matthew T. Kelly

Stephen T. Williams

Peter E. Padula

Robert R. Vallee

Charles F. Delfino, Jr.

no school today, go and vote!

There are seven candidates for the seven School Committee positions

John S. Jewell PhD

Cynthia J.Douglas

Roberta D. Trahan

Paula T. Mullen

Susan T. Rohrbach

Kevin P. O'Malley

Trevor A. Clement

There are two candidates for the one Board of Assessors position for a four year term

Christopher K. Feeley

Daniel B. Ballinger

There is one candidate for the one Board of Assessors position for a two year term

John H. Neas

There is one candidate for the one Board of Health position for a four year term

Bruce J. Hunchard

There are two candidates for the one Constable position for a two year term

Rancourt LaRosa

Daniel S. McCahill

There are three candidates for the two Planning Board positions for a four year term

Joseph F. Halligan

Anthony D. Padula

Navdeep S. Arora

There are two ballot questions, one to change from elected to appointed the Treasurer/Collector and one non-binding question on exploring a mayor form of government.

Ballot question text: (binding)

Shall the city known as the Town of Franklin approve the charter amendment proposed by the Franklin Town Council in Resolution 13-30 summarized below?

The proposed amendment eliminates the provision for election of the Town Treasurer-Collector and adds a provision for appointment of the Town Treasurer-Collector by the Town Administrator, with input from a selection committee and ratification by the Town Council; the amendment takes effect if and when approved by the voters, except that the incumbent Treasurer-Collector shall serve the remainder of his current term.

Ballot question text: (non-binding)

"Would you be in favor of further amending the Franklin Home Rule Charter to provide for the election of a mayor to govern the city known as the town of Franklin?"

What kind of turn out will the voters make on Tuesday? If history is any guide, it will be low.

Franklin Election History 2003 - 2011

The elections of 2005, 2009 and this year 2013 are comparable. The elections of 2003, 2007, and 2011 are also comparable. The difference between the two sets is that the Town Clerk and Treasurer/Collector are up for election in the later set (2003, 2007 and 2011) and with their election on the ballot there has shown a growth in voter turn out.

With this this election excluding those positions, it will likely be in the 15-18% range. I would hope it would be more like 2011 given the ballot questions: one binding to change the Treasurer/Collector to an appointed position and one non-binding to consider a mayor. We'll see what happens on Tuesday

The Franklin Garden Club is meeting Tuesday, Nov 5th at the St. John's Episcopal Church, Pleasant Street, Franklin, MA at 7:00 p.m.Betty Sanders is will be doing a presentation about Gardening for a Lifetime! Betty is a member of the Landscape Design Council, the Gardening Study Council and a student Flower Show judge. She has designed and built the Master Gardener exhibit at the New England Spring Flower Show and the Boston Flower and Garden Show since 2006 and has lectured at the New England Flower Show.

Betty volunteers at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, where she helped design the 6,000-square-foot vegetable garden that supplies crops for three area food pantries. For more information, please visit her website, www.Bettyongardening.comLike the Franklin Garden Club on Facebook